Garment hanging clips



May 19, 1964 5. J. GIALLANZA GARMENT HANGING cups Filed July 19, 1962 INVENTOR. 634 42 4%4444/1424 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed July 19, 1962, Ser. No. 210,936 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-81) This invention relates to improvements in garment hanging clips, and more particularly to economical snapon clips for attachment to the commonly known wire coat hanger, the invention being highly desirable for hanging ladies skirts although the invention is suitable for the hanging of other garments, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, considerable difliculty has been experienced in the proper hanging of garments, especially by dry cleaning establishments. For economical reasons such establishments utilized the commonly known wire coat hanger, and while it is a simple expedient to insert such a hanger inside the shoulders of a coat, jacket, or the like, the hanger is not in and of itself suitable for proper- 1y supporting a cleaned and pressed skirt or similar garment. In some instances, a skirt was merely folded and draped over the crossbar of the hanger, but if it remained on the hanger for any length of time, an unsightly lateral crease developed in the skirt. Sometimes, safety pins were utilized to attach a skirt to the hanger but then the skirt was not only perforated, but supported by a very narrow wire or prong and if the skirt remained upon the hanger for any length of time, the aperture made by the pin gradually enlarged and the skirt by virtue of its weight was pulled in an unsightly manner at each safety pin. Most commonly, metallic spring clips having inwardly turned teeth or prongs, and functioning somewhat in the manner of the well known spring type clothes pin, were utilized. These were difiicult to operate, frequently injured the fingers of the operators, definitely punctured the garment in an unsightly and injurious manner, and were objectionably expensive. While the avoidance of injury to the garment is the prime factor involved, nevertheless since hangers and attachments therefor are furnished free by a dry cleaning establishment or the like, the cost of such items is also an important matter and heretofore nothing of which I am aware has satisfactorily met both these requirements.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a simple form of resilient clip readily attachable to the commonly known wire coat hanger, and so constructed as to support a skirt or similar garment without any perforation of the garment and in a manner where no unsightly crease or other deformation will occur regardless of the length of time the garment remains on the hanger.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of a simple and economical form of hanging clip which may be made of the same material as the commonly known wire coat hanger, and merely snapped into place upon such a hanger.

Also a feature of this invention is the provision of a simple form of snap-on garment hanging clip so constructed that left and right hand clips are not essential, but the same clip may be used at either end of the crossbar of a coat hanger by merely reversing its position.

It is a further desideratum of this invention to provide a garment hanging clip so constructed as to be readily attachable to the crossbar of a coat hanger, one clip being used adjacent each end of the crossbar, and the clips positioned to firmly grip a skirt or the like along the side seams thereof, holding the waistline fully expanded, and leaving no unsightly indentations or marks upon the garment when it is removed.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a 3,133,327 Patented May 19, 1964 simple form of garment hanging clip easily attachable to the crossbar of a coat hanger, and which remains in position by virtue of its inherent resiliency.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of a simple form of garment hanging clip which may be attached to the crossbar of a coat hanger with great facility, and a garment connected to it with equal facility, all without danger of injury to the operator.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above described, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of clipsembodying principles of the instant invention shown in operative position supporting a garment on a coat hanger;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the right hand portion of FIGURE 1 illustrating a clip attached to the coat hanger with the garment removed;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure upon the hanger crossbar. The clip may be of plastic,

wire, or any other suitable material.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is in the form of a resilient snap-on clip made of a single piece of wire, which may be the same type of wire as embodied in the coat hanger itself, but which might preferably be a slightly smaller diameter.

The wire is bent and shaped in any suitable manner to provide an open loop free at one end thereof for engagement with the crossbar 2 of the hanger as seen in FIG! URES 2 and 3. This loop terminates in a straight shank 4 at the other end of which is a U-bend 5, FIGURE 3, to provide a lateral notch 6, and below the notch is a straight leg 7 terminating at its lower end in a U-bend 8 from which an upright leg 9 extends terminating at its top in a U-bend 10 from which a somewhat bowed leg 11 depends and this terminates at its lower end in a loop 12 which is in resilient contact with the upright leg 9 adjacent the U-bend 8. One portion of a garment to be suspended is gripped between the legs 9 and 11 at the loop 12.

It is a simple expedient to attach the clip to the crossbar 2 of the hanger 1 by simply engaging the open loop 3 with the crossbar, then moving the gripping end of the device to the opposite side of the crossbar and pulling the gripping end of the device straight downwardly until the device snaps into engagement with the crossbar 2 at the notch 6. The resilient engagement of the clip with the crossbar is sufliciently strong to prevent accidental sliding movement of the clip along the crossbar. Looking at FIGURE 1 it will be noted that the same clip may be utilized at the opposite end of the crossbar but in reverse position, with the U-bend 5 forming the notch 6 appearing on the outer side of the crossbar rather than the inner side, as shown at the left hand side of FIGURE 1. When it is desired to change the position of the clip, it is a simple expedient to force the clip to one side until the notch 6 clears the crossbar, elevate the gripping end of theclip as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4, move the entire clip to the desired position, and then pull straight downwardly upon the gripping end of the clip until it again snaps in position with the crossbar seated in the notch 6. In this manner either clip or both of them may be positioned properly to fit the waist of a skirt or similar garment. Since the crossbar of the standard wire coat hanger is 16 inches long, and the clip projects beyond the end of the crossbar as seen in FIGURE 2, a skirt or garment up to a 33 inch Waist measure may be held tautly with the use, of the present invention on a standard hanger. Should the skirt or garment exceed a 33 inch waist measure, it may be clipped singly at one side, folded over and clipped doubly at the opposite side.

In FIGURE 1 I have shown a skirt or similar garment 13 having a Waistband 14 properly suspended from a pair of clips embodying the instant invention. The waistband 14 is gripped at one side between the legs 11 and 9 of a clip, preferably along the side seam of the skirt, and similarly gripped at the opposite side by the other clip. It will be noted that the waistband 14 is taut so that the skirt will (hang freely in proper position. It is a simple expedient to withdraw the waistband of the skirt from the clips, and the skirt will have no markings, punctures, or other deformations therein, regardless of the length of time the skirt remains clipped to the hanger.

It will be further noted that in the use of the present invention, clips may readily and quickly be attached to the crossbar of a coat hanger without any danger of injury to the hands of the operator.

It will further be noted that the instant invention is extremely economical, since it need only embody a single relatively short piece of wire bent to shape.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment hanging clip for use on a coat hanger having a horizontal crossbar comprising;

a single piece of wire bent to define an open loop at one end engageable with the crossbar of the coat hanger,

a straight horizontal shank extending from said loop and terminating in a single U-bend providing a notch engageable with the crossbar, and

a garment gripping formation depending from said U-bend,

whereby said open lop and said U-bend cooperate to snapingly engage said crossbar by Way of the resiliency of the wire preventing unintentional shifting of the clip along the crossbar.

2. A garment hanging clip for use on a coat hanger having a horizontal crossbar comprising:

a single piece of wire bent to define an open loop at one end engageable with the crossbar of the coat hanger,

a straight horizontal shank extending from said loop and terminating in a single laterally extending U- bend providing a notch engageable with the crossbar, and

a garment gripping formation depending from said U-bend,

whereby said open loop and laterally extending U-bend cooperate to snapingly engage said crossbar by way of the resiliency of the Wire preventing unintentional shifting of the clip along the crossbar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A GARMENT HANGING CLIP FOR USE ON A COAT HANGER HAVING A HORIZONTAL CROSSBAR COMPRISING; A SINGLE PIECE OF WIRE BENT TO DEFINE AN OPEN LOOP AT ONE END ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CROSSBAR OF THE COAT HANGER, A STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL SHANK EXTENDING FROM SAID LOOP AND TERMINATING IN A SINGLE U-BEND PROVIDING A NOTCH ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CROSSBAR, AND A GARMENT GRIPPING FORMATION DEPENDING FROM SAID U-BEND, WHEREBY SAID OPEN LOP AND SAID U-BEND COOPERATE TO SNAPINGLY ENGAGE SAID CROSSBAR BY WAY OF THE RESILIENCY OF THE WIRE PREVENTING UNINTENTIONAL SHIFTING OF THE CLIP ALONG THE CROSSBAR. 